Spindle



arch 1935 J. F. JAcKsQN ZES MQZ SPINDLE Filed Oct. 19, 1934- JOHN FREDERICK L/Acmsom 11%} i /O @i Patented Mar. 17, 1936 SPINDLE John Frederick Jackson, Pawtucket, R. I., as-

signor to H. & B. American Machine Company, Pawtucket, R. I., a corporation of Maine v Application October 19,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to textile spindles of the type used for spinning or twisting yarns and more particularly to a knee brake construction for such devices.

Various types of knee brakes have been proposed heretofore for stopping and holding such spindles from rotation, but these have either been complicated in construction and diflicult to assemble and operate, or their design has been such as to be in the way during the spinning or twisting operation or they have had various other objectionable features. For example, "one type of knee brake construction heretofore employed for this purpose comprises a braking device actuated by the knee of the operator in which the braking force is applied by frictional contact against the upper and lower sides of the bottom flange of the driving whirl of the spindle through leather pads secured in the under side of a detachable 20/friction finger and. afiixed upon the upper face of the knee brake lever, respectively; the friction finger being mounted in a swinging relation upon an upright oil well post upon the spindle bolster case to act thereon as a combined friction mem- 25,ber and oil cover. Such a knee brake constructionhas been expensive tomake and, otherwise, has not been satisfactory since the device requires the application of considerable knee pressure on the part of the operator to stop the rota- 302, tion of the spindle. This wastes valuable time in carrying on the usual spinning operations and a consequent loss of efiiciency results.

The main objects of my invention are to provide an improved knee brake construction which 35: is simple in design and easily and economically manufactured and assembled, which is durable and eflicient in its operation and which enables the operator to stop and hold a spinning or twisting spindle from rotation without delay and with a minimum of effort.

It is a further object to combine in a simplified construction, means for covering the oil hole in the spindle bearing support and for preventing the brake lever from becoming displaced -from its correct operating position which may be quickly and easily moved to uncover the oil hole or to permit removal of the spindle or the knee brake lever from their respective bearing supports.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art, my invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates one 1934, Serial No. 749,000

embodiment of my invention, and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spindle construction illustrating my invention having parts broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction; a

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken on the line 2'2 of Fig. 1 in which the spindle blade is shown as being removed from the bolster case; and

Fig. 3 is a detail view, in elevation, showing the knee brake lever.

- In accordance with my invention, I have provided a knee brake construction which is particularly adapted to stop and hold a spinning or twisting spindle from rotation by the application of the braking pressure through frictional engagement with the upper and lower side porv tions of the bottom flange of the driving whirl of the spindle and. which comprises a movable knee brake lever provided with upper and lower friction members so constructed and arranged as to form a unitary brake lever structure. This is preferably accomplished by making the upper friction member integral withthe lower brak ing portion, with the pads of friction material so arranged that they will act directly against the whirl flange to stop the rotation of the spindle. Suitable means" are provided to prevent the unintentional displacement of the knee brake lever from the correct operating position relative to the lower flange of the driving whirl of the spin- .dle and for this purpose I preferably employ a detaining stop movable into proper relation with respect to the knee brake lever which prevents lifting or removal of the knee brake or the spindle from the bolster case except as the stop is moved out of the way. In my preferred construction, this brake detaining stop is so ar ranged as to be actuated by movement of the oil inlet cover into and out of engagement with the brake lever. Referring to the drawing, I have illustrated a spinning or twisting spindle I!) having a driving whirl I I secured thereon and provided with upper and lower flanges l2 and I3, respectively, the spindle Ill being journalled for rotation in the usual manner in a bolster case M. The bolster case carries a head flange l5 adapted to be firm ly seated upon the upper face of a spindle rail of a spinning or twisting frame, not shown, and a lower tubular body portion or stem l6 containing the spindle bearings and dependingbelow the flange l5, the stem being closed at its bottom end to form an oil reservoir and provided with a screw threaded portion l! to receive a suitable clamping nut, not shown, for securing the bolster case to the rail. The head flange I5 is provided with a laterally extending and upwardly projecting arm |8 in'which is formed the usual oil channel for delivering oil to the oil reservoir in the stem l6 for lubricating the. spindle bearings. The sides of the laterally extending portion of the arm I8 are provided with suitable projecting ears I9 which form fulcrums for the knee brake lever 2!].

The knee brake rests loosely on the upper face of the flange Hi and consists of a depending arm 2| adapted to be engaged by the knee of the operator and a lateral extending braking member 22 projecting outwardly therefrom at substantially right angles, the braking member being bifurcated to form a yoke having a pair of spaced arms 23 which straddle and loosely embrace the upper portion of the spindle bolster case and normally rest just beneath the lower flange l3 of the whirl The arms 23 are provided upon their outer free ends with friction pads 25 of leather or other friction material suitably affixed thereto which are adapted to engage diametrically opposite portions of the underside of the lower flange l3 in the vertical plane of the axis of the spindle I0 when the arms are lifted slightly upon the application of pressure by the operator with his knee to the depending arm 2| of the knee brake.

A rigid, upstanding projection 21 formed on the member 22 at the junction of the brake arms 23 and preferably integral therewith comprises the upper friction member of the brake construction for braking the rotation of the spindle. This projection is preferably of curved shape to conform substantially to the curvature of the whirl flange and extends upwardly and outwardly from the yoke junction of the knee brake to form a friction finger 28 over the lower whirl flange l3 and free from contact thereof. The finger 28 is provided with a friction pad 29 of leather or other friction material affixed to the under side of the friction finger 28 and positioned thereon to be engaged by the upper face of the lower flange |3 when the spindle is lifted slightly by the knee brake arms 23.

The knee brake 20 is fulcrumed at the junction of the depending arm 2| and the yoke member 22 on the fulcrum ears IQ of the bolster case arm l8. Lateral displacement of the knee brake is prevented by the sides of the opening 30 through which loosely extends the upright post 3| which is positioned adjacent to the whirl [I and formed by the upper end of the upstanding portion of the arm extension I8. The post 3| is provided with an oil inlet 32 communicating with the customary oil channel formed within the arm l8.

An oil inlet cover 33 is pivotally mounted on the upper end of the upright post 3|, as on a cross pin 35 suitably positioned on the post 3|, and formed with a brake detaining stop or detent 36 depending from the inner face thereof which normally extends into a brake detaining position into engagement within an opening 31 of suitable size and shape and formed in the sidewall of the upright projection 21 upon the brake member 22 to hold the brake lever from displacement when the oil inlet cover is in a closed position. To this end, the detent or stop 36 is preferably shaped so as to extend downward and inward toward the spindle whirl to engage the opening 31, such as a slot, formed in the upper friction member of the knee brake lever.

The inner face of the post 3| is slotted, as indicated at 38, to receive the stop or detent 36 and to permit the same to swing backward and be withdrawn away from a brake detaining position with respect to the opening 31 formed in the upper friction member 21 of the knee brake 20.

The opening 30 is preferably elongated in the depending arm 2| of the knee brake lever to permit the removal of the knee brake and the spindle from the bolster case by direct upward movement after the oil inlet cover 33 has been swung upward in a raised position and the depending brake latch 36 carried thereby has thus been swung backward to an inoperative position to release the knee brake member 21.

The operation of my device will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure. When the operator applies pressure with his knee to the depending arm 2| of the knee brake, the leather padsv 25 will be lifted slightly into engagement with the under-side of the whirl flange l3 and, in consequence, the whirl and the spindle will be moved upwardly until the upper side of the lower flange 3 of the whirl comes intorcontact' with the friction pad 29 secured in the friction finger 28 rigidly upstanding from the upper face of the knee brake member 22. Such engagement serves to cause the flange 3 to become firmly wedged between the'top and bottom friction pads 29 and 25, respectively, thereby preventing fur,- ther upward movement of the spindle which is thus readily brought to rest and firmly held from rotation by the upward pressure of the brake thereon. Whenever the operator desires'to oil the spindle, he lifts the oil inlet cover 33, thereby uncovering the oil inlet 32 andat the same time withdrawing the brake detent 36 from the opening 31 in the upper brake element so that the spindle may be lifted from its bearings in the bolster case, if desired. However, so long as the oil inlet cover 33 is in a closed position, the detent 36 cannot be withdrawn, and any upward movement of the spindle cannot disengage the brake detent to release the brake and'spindle.

It will now be apparent that I have provided a simple construction for stopping and holding spinning and twisting spindles from rotation. This construction may be cheaply and easily manufactured and quickly assembled. Furthermore, replacement of the brake member from the spindle does not require any considerable waste of the operators time, since it is but the matter of a few moments to lift the oil cover and remove the old brake member so that a new device may be readily substituted in position thereon, no skill being required on the part of the operator for this purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I I

1. In a device of the character described, the combination'of a spindle bolster case, a spindle rotatably mounted therein, a driving whirl on said spindle and including a flange, a knee brake lever having a pair of spaced arms loosely'em bracing the spindle bolster case, a friction pad aflixed to each of said arms adapted to engage the lower surface of the whirl flange at points substantially opposite diametrically with relation to the axis of the spindle, and an upwardly extending projection rigid on said brake lever and formed integral therewith carrying a friction finger adapted to extend over the upper surface of the flange of said whirl in position to engage the same upon manual operation of the knee brake lever.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a spindle bolster case having an oil reservoir and provided with an oil passage communicating thereto for feed of oil for lubricating the spindle bearings, a spindle rotatably mounted in said bolster case, a driving whirl on said spindle with upper and lower flanges, a knee brake lever having a pair of spaced arms loosely embracing the spindle bolster case, a friction pad affixed to the upper surface of each of said arms and adapted to engage the lower surface of the bottom flange of the whirl at points substantially opposite diametrically with relation to the axis of the spindle, an upwardly extending projection rigid on said brake lever and formed integrally therewith carrying a friction finger adapted to extend over the upper surface of the lower flange of said whirl in position to engage the same when the knee brake lever is operated, an upright post provided with an oil inlet for feeding oil to the oil reservoir and spindle bearings, a cover for said oil inlet pivotally mounted on said post and normally seated on the top thereof and adapted to be lifted to aiford access to the oil inlet, and means carried by said cover and depending therefrom so as to extend downward and inward toward the spindle whirl to a position into engagement with the knee brake lever whereby the brake lever and the spindle cannot be withdrawn from their normal operating position on the bolster case when the oil inlet cover is in a closed position.

3. In combination with a spindle bolster case having an oil reservoir thereon for lubricating the spindle bearings and provided with an upright post carrying an oil inlet communicating with an oil channel for feed of oil therefrom to said oil reservoir, a spindle rotatably mounted in said bolster case, a driving whirl on said spindle and including a flange, of a knee brake lever for said whirl pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends on said bolster case, said brake lever comprising a depending knee engaging arm having an elongated opening therethrough for the passage of the upright post and a laterally extending braking portion having a pair of spaced arms forming a yoke loosely embracing the spindle bolster case, a friction pad afiixed to each of said yoke arms at the outer free ends adapted to engage the lower surface of the whirl flange at points substantially opposite diametrically with relation to the axis of the spindle, a slotted upwardly extending projection rigid on said brake lever and formed integral therewith carrying a friction finger having a friction pad secured to the underside thereof adapted to extend over the upper surface of the whirl flange in position to wedgingly engage the same upon manual operation of the knee brake lever, a cover for said oil inlet pivotally mounted on the upright post of the spindle bolster case and adapted to be lifted to afford access to the oil inlet, and a depending projection on the end of said cover adjacent to the whirl extending downwardly and inwardly toward the spindle whirl to a position for engaging the slot in the upper friction member of the knee brake lever when the oil inlet cover is in a closed position to prevent withdrawal of the knee brake lever and the spindle from the spindle bolster case and removable to an inoperative position to release the knee brake lever and the spindle for removal from the spindle bolster case when the oil inlet cover is in a raised position.

4. In combination with a spindle support having a spindle rotatably mounted therein carrying a driving whirl including a flange and provided with an oil inlet for feed of oil to the spindle bearings, a slotted knee brake lever pivotally mounted on the spindle support for tilting movement carrying a pair of relatively opposed friction members to stop and hold the spindle from rotation by wedging engagement with both sides of the flange of the driving whirl upon tilting operation of said lever, a cover for the oil inlet pivotally mounted on said spindle support and independent of the brake lever, and a depending projection on said cover shaped to engage the slot in the knee brake lever when the oil inlet cover is in a closed position to prevent withdrawal of the brake lever and the spindle from the spindle support and removable to an inoperative position to release the knee brake lever and the spindle for removal from the spindle support when the oil inlet cover is in a raised position.

5. As an article of manufacture, a knee brake lever for stopping and holding spinning or twisting spindles from rotation comprising a downwardly extending knee engaging arm with an elongated opening formed therein and a laterally extending braking member having a pair of spaced arms forming a yoke, a friction pad affixed to the outer end portion of each of said spaced arms, and a slotted upwardly extending projection rigid on said brake lever and formed integral therewith at the junction of the yoke arms carrying a friction finger provided with a friction pad on the underside thereof.

6. A knee brake for textile spindles comprising in combination a support, a spindle rotatably mounted therein, a driving whirl on said spindle and including a flange, a knee brake lever pivotally mounted on said support having a laterally extending brake member disposed adjacent to the flange of the driving whirl in a position to stop and hold the spindle from rotation, and three relatively opposed spaced friction bodies carried by said laterally extending brakev member and fixedly mounted thereon, one of said friction bodies being positioned above the whirl flange and the other two friction bodies being disposed thereunder whereby the braking pressure maybe applied to both sides of said whirl flange at three relatively opposed points thereof.

JOHN FREDERICK JACKSON. 

